Parallel Lines: a story of memory, silence, and first love

What We Break, What We Mend

Silence.

Then:

"Do you remember that night we talked about what we'd do if we lost everything?"

He blinked.

"I said I'd run. You said you'd draw it."

A soft, cracked laugh.

"I haven't drawn in days."

"I know."

She didn't try to fix it.
She just stayed.

Eventually, he sat up.

"Why did you come?"

"Because even if you don't love me anymore... I still care. I always will."

He looked away.

"I don't know what I feel anymore."

"That's okay," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You don't have to."

And the silence between them — for once — felt like peace.

8.5 – What We Carry, What We Let Go

They stayed there for hours.
No clocks. No plans. Just the stillness of presence.

For the first time in months, the voices in Arvind's head quieted.

Tiara said little.
She didn't need to.

At dawn, she stood up.

"I've got a presentation," she said with a faint smile.

"Thanks," he whispered.

As she opened the door, she nearly bumped into Kiara.

Two girls.
Two stories.
One truth.

They exchanged a look.
Tiara nodded politely. Walked past.

Kiara stood frozen.

Sahil called her from the balcony.

"She barged in last night. Didn't say much. Just... needed to be here."

Kiara said nothing.
But something inside her was unraveling.

8.6 – The Girl Who Tried to Love a Robot

It started as a dare.

"Propose to the robot," Anshika had joked.

Kiara laughed.

She didn't know why she said yes. Maybe it was curiosity. Or hope.
Or the thrill of seeing if the robot had a heart.

But it worked.

He softened.
Laughed.
Held her hand.

She told herself:

"I'm helping him heal."

And maybe she was.

Until his grandfather died.
Until Tiara walked back in.

And Kiara saw it.

The flicker.
The glow.
The boy beneath the hoodie.

She realized:

"I was the coat he wore in winter.
She... was the sun he thought he lost."

So Kiara made a choice.

She would wait.
Then she would let go.

Not because she didn't love him.

But because sometimes love means knowing when to step aside.

8.7 – The Kindest Goodbye

A quiet Sunday.
Rooftop of the art block.
Arvind sketching clouds. Pencil moving without thought.

Kiara sat beside him.

"Remember when I dared you to date me?"

He smiled.

"Barely. You caught me off-guard."

"That's because you were always off-guard. Always somewhere else."

She held his hand gently.

"We were good.
We tried.
But I was a coat you wore in winter.
And your heart was still frozen."

He looked at her, eyes welling.

"Kiara..."

"Don't ruin it with sorry."

She smiled — soft and honest.

"I don't regret a thing. I got to meet the boy behind the hoodie.
But she knows you better.
She remembers you better."

She wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Just promise me something."

"Anything."

"When you're ready... don't lose her again."

He didn't answer.
But the way he gripped her hand said everything.

She kissed his forehead.
Stood.
Walked away without looking back.

Because sometimes, the bravest kind of love... is the one that lets go.